Chapter 11 Assessment and Evaluation of Sports Injuries

Chapter 11: Assessment and Evaluation of Sports Injuries

Assessment/Evaluation § An important proficiency for everyone on the athletic care team Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2

Athletic Injuries § Assessment refers to the orderly collection of objective and subjective data on the athlete’s health status. § Diagnosis uses information from the assessment and physical examination to establish the cause and nature of the athlete’s injury; it may be made only by a physician or licensed health care provider. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 3

Factors Influencing Athletic Injuries § Anthropomorphic data, which includes statistics on an athlete’s size, weight, body structure, gender, strength, and maturity level, provides essential information to health care providers. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 4

Factors Influencing Athletic Injuries (cont. ) § Mechanism of force involves an evaluation of all the forces involved at the time of an impact (direction, intensity, duration, activity, and body/ body part position). § Speed at which the injury occurred affects the extent and severity of the injury. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 5

Factors Influencing Athletic Injuries (cont. ) § Protective equipment can reduce the severity of injury and prevent injury. § The athlete’s skill level may also play a role; beginners are more prone to injury than more advanced athletes. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6

Primary Injury Survey § The first focus of those on the scene of an injury involves assessment of life-threatening emergencies and management of the airway, breathing, and circulation. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 7

Head-Tilt vs. Jaw-Thrust § The head-tilt, chin-lift maneuver should be used to open the airway only if there is no suspicion of spinal injury; otherwise, the jaw-thrust maneuver (right) should be used. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 8

Secondary Injury Survey § A thorough, methodical evaluation of an athlete’s overall health to reveal additional injuries beyond the initial injury. § The HOPS approach is common to the secondary injury survey: History, Observation, Palpation, and Special tests. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 9

Pain Evaluation § A scale can be used to evaluate how much pain the injured athlete is in: 0 1 -3 4 -6 7 -9 10 No pain Minimal pain Moderate pain Severe pain Emergency room pain Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 10

Palpation § Palpation refers to touching the athlete during examination to determine the extent of injury. § Palpation should be firm enough to produce pain if injury is present. Too light a touch may result in overlooking a significant injury. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 11

Active/Passive Motion § Active motion is movement by the athlete through the range of motion during examination. § Passive motion is movement done by the examiner through the range of motion while the athlete relaxes the muscles. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 12

Activity § Functional activity refers to the level of movement at which the athlete can comfortably work and participate. § Sport-specific activity involves particular types of movement and actions that are needed in or related to a particular sport. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 13

Return-to-Play Criteria § The athlete must exhibit 100% strength in the injured area. § The athlete must be free from pain. § Skill performance tests must be taken to determine the athlete’s ability to return to play. § The athlete must exhibit emotional readiness to return to the chosen activity. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 14

SOAP Notes § This is a particular format for recording information regarding treatment procedures: – Subjective notes include subjective statements made by the injured athlete – Objective notes include the certified athletic trainer’s visual inspection, palpation, and assessment of active, passive, and resistive motion. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 15

SOAP Notes (cont. ) – Assessment of the injury is the certified athletic trainer’s professional judgment and impression as to the nature and extent of injury. – Plan refers to First Aid treatment rendered and the sports therapist’s intentions as to disposition (what is to be done next). Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 16

Daily Sideline Report § Tracks each athlete who participates in a sport § Tracks injuries, missed practices, and limited practice abilities § May reveal injury patterns that should be addressed with the athlete Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 17

Training-Room Treatment Log § Anyone receiving attention from the ACT is logged. § Log data includes name, date, injury, treatment provided, and follow-up care required. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 18

Daily Red Cross List § Documentation used to inform coaches of the status of their athletes’ health and injuries. Copyright © 2004 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 19